Battlecruiser
fleet near New Folsom.]] The battlecruiser is a type of terran capital ship employed in the Koprulu Sector. Battlecruisers were employed during the Guild Wars when space engagements were fought by capital ships and medium-sized gunships. The development of anti-capital ship starfighters, such as Wraiths, did not spell the end of battlecruisers. The large warships adapted to carry strike craft which augmented and complemented the combat value of both. Battlecruisers continue to be an integral part of terran space forces as general purpose warshipsRosenberg, Aaron (June 1, 2006). StarCraft: Queen of Blades. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7133-4. and command ships during extended campaigns.Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. While there are many classes of battlecruisers, all are armed with lasers and protected by neosteel armor.Battlecruiser-StarCraft II. Accessed on 2008-02-12 Gravity accelerators are also found on all battlecruisers.Neilson, Micky (December 18, 2000). StarCraft: Uprising. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-1898-0 (eBook). Classes Many battlecruiser classes exist. Known classes include; ''Leviathan''-class The Leviathan-class battlecruiser is an uncommon battlecruiser class and although still operating at the dawn of the 26th century, had largely been supplanted by the Behemoth-class variant. The Leviathan-class is capable of traveling through warp space and features ports for transport craft, smaller craft linking into the ship via hydraulics. These ports are located perilously close to the bridge however, making a Leviathan vulnerable to any enemy boarding action.Grubb, Jeff (February 27, 2001). StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04148-7. ''Behemoth''-class ]] The Behemoth-class battlecruiser was the most common battlecruiser class and represented the "standard" battlecruiser variant during the Great War. The Behemoth variant is greatly advanced from its Leviathan-class predecessor, featuring the ability to operate within planetary atmospheres and even land on planets.Mesta, Gabriel (July 1, 2001). StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04149-5. It also features a total of four docking bays (as opposed to hydraulic entry points) which are equipped with force fields, allowing easy deployment of fighters without fear of decompression2007-08-03. StarCraft II Single-Player Campaign BlizzCon Preview. Gamespot. Accessed 2008-02-12. and greater resilience to enemy boarding actions.Golden, Christie (May 22, 2007). StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga #1: Firstborn. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7125-3. Like the Leviathan, it is capable of traveling through warp space, even capable of making jumps within a planet's atmosphere.Dustin Browder, Rob Pardo. 2008-10-11. Blizzcon 2008: StarCraft II Gameplay Discussion Panel (Part 3). Youtube.com Accessed 2008-10-11. Behemoth-class armor consists of the standard neosteel, along with force fields, while armament consists of multiple burst laser batteries (at least 8 around the ship's 'hammerhead')Dustin Browder, Rob Pardo. 2008-10-11. Blizzcon 2008: StarCraft II Gameplay Discussion Panel (Part 3). Youtube.com Accessed 2008-10-11. http://www.starcraft2.com/images/screenshots/ss125-hires.jpg http://www.starcraft2.com/images/screenshots/ss126-hires.jpgStarCraft II Official Website Accessed 2009-11-21. and a complement of nuclear warheads.SC1 Battlecruiser. StarCraft Compendium. Accessed on 2008-02-12 Despite the heavy arsenal, Behemoth armament is slightly constricted in that its laser batteries cannot fire at targets to the side and its warheads are reserved for orbital bombardment rather than space combat. A saving grace for the Behemoth-class exists in the form of the Yamato Cannon. One such use of these weapons is that of carrying out a scorched earth policy.Corey Konieczka, Robert A. Kouba, Dan Clark (December 17, 2008). StarCraft: The Board Game: Brood War. Fantasy Flight Games. ASIN 1589945034 Fighters are an integral component to battlecruiser deployment and the Behemoth-class conforms to this, capable of deploying Wraiths and scoutships to engage the enemy. It also akin to a terran carrier, capable of housing hundreds of soldiers and hardware and maintaining dropships and shuttles for rapid deployment. The Behemoth-class battlecruiser's Yamato Gun's primary weakness is its huge energy requirements and while the installation of a colossus reactor allows for increased energy storage, it is not a long term solution. The Terran Dominion's Behemoth''s required access to physics labs to "power up their weapon systems". Should a fleet commander lose access to these accelerators, an entire ''Behemoth-class fleet could be crippled.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Assault on Korhal (in English). 1998. Despite its shortcomings, the Behemoth-class has proven to be an enduring design, keeping up to date with periodic upgrades while its hammerhead design had provided the basis for future classes. Although more advanced classes of battlecruiser have been developed, the Behemoth-class continues to remain in service. ''Hercules''- and Minotaur-class The Hercules-class and Minotaur-class battlecruisers are two recently developed battlecruiser classes, based largely off their Behemoth-class predecessor. Additional laser batteries have been installed on these ships, allowing for a greater rate and amount of fire. The Yamato Cannon was still an option; the Minotaur-class battlecruiser is equipped with it.Randolph, Grace (w), Nan Kim (art), Matt Dalton (i). "Newsworthy." In StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 2 (paperback binding), pp. 68-121. Tokyopop, January 1, 2009. ISBN 1427-80831-7. Missile Barrage systems can also be equipped, giving these craft an armament capable of saturating the air with a lethal deluge of fire, ideal for destroying weak spacecraft.Karune. 2008-06-11. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 40. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-06-11. Like the Yamato Cannon, these craft need to build up a significant amount of energy before activating this weapon system.Karune. 2008-06-11. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 40. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-06-11. The interior of Minotaur battlecruisers are known to feature personal quarters, a brig and mess hall. During the Interbellum, Minotaur''s were suddenly recalled to Korhal IV. They were ordered to abandon their current assignments, disembark passengers and cargo on nearby habitable worlds, and proceed immediately to the Dominion capital to be refitted for interatmospheric combat.Dayton, Cameron. "Broken Wide." (March 5, 2010). Blizzard Entertainment. Broken Wide Accessed 2010-03-05. Starcruiser The ''Starcruiser is an advanced battlecruiser prototype sold by Crazy Bob's Bazaar.2001-18-04, Bazaar. StarCraft Compendium. Accessed on 2008-04-04 Appearances StarCraft : For StarCraft gameplay information see: Battlecruiser (StarCraft). : For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft I Battlecruiser Quotations. StarCraft: Ghost with a battlecruiser overhead.]] In StarCraft: Ghost, the battlecruiser acted as a support unit for Nova. Through targeting, the player could call down a Yamato Cannon strike that dealt damage to all objects in an area.GameSpot Accessed: May 22, 2008. StarCraft II : For StarCraft gameplay information see: Battlecruiser (StarCraft II). Known Battlecruisers ''Leviathan''-class *''Merrimack'' (converted prison ship) *''Thunder Child'' ''Behemoth''-class *''Bismarck'' *''Gray Tiger'' *''Huey Long'' *''Hyperion'' *''Iron Fist'' *''Jackson V'' *''Napoleon'' *''Ragnorak'' *''Theodore G. Bilbo'' ''Norad''-series *''Norad II'' *''Norad III'' ''Minotaur''-class *''Emperor's Fury'' *''Victory'' Other or unknown classes *''Aleksander'' *''The Kimera'' *''Kimeran Juggernaut'' Known Battlecruiser Commanders *Admiral Gerard DuGalle *General Edmund Duke *General Arcturus Mengsk *Captain Bolshev *Captain Buzan *Captain Robert Mason *Captain Jim Raynor *Captain Elias Tudbury *Captain Alexander Davidoff *Commander Hale *Commander Haley *Major Tom Hawkins *Lieutenant Matt Horner *El Kang the Quixotic Notes A battlecruiser was stated as being two "leagues" long in StarCraft: Uprising. References Category: Terran starship classes Category:Featured Articles